Relationship between communication skills training and doctors’ perceptions of patient similarity

Objectives: The study’s primary aim was to investigate whether participants who have received more communication skills training see patients as less similar to one another. The study’s secondary aim was to explore differences in perceived patient similarity between male and female doctors, hospital doctors and general practitioners and medical students and doctors. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. Thirtysix hospital consultants, 35 general practitioners and 56 clinical medical students in the United Kingdom were recruited via a snowballing technique and medical student societies. They completed a questionnaire in which they indicated hours and form of communication skills training received and rated perceptions of the two last patients they had seen on a 3-item semantic differential scale. Data collection took place via the post, e-mail or the web. Pearson Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the ratings. Results: Participants with greater communication skills training (≥ 30 hours) perceived patients as less similar to each other (M = 3.95, SD = 2.35) than participants with medium (between 10 and 30 hours, M = 3.14, SD = 2.62) and smaller communication skills training (≤10 hours, M = 2.69, SD = 2.70), Kruskal-Wallis test (2, 119) = 6.78, p = .03. There was no difference in perceived patient similarity according to the doctor’s gender and place of work. Conclusions: Communication skills training appears to decrease perceived similarity of patients but more research is needed to establish causality. Implications for patient satisfaction and doctors’ respect for patients are discussed.